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Being an ASSETT Student Fellow

By Cassidy Younggreen, B.A. Japanese,‘18

While I am not new to ASSETT, I am new to the Student Fellows (SF) program. The SF program was created while I was studying abroad and this was my first Teaching Technology Assistance Program (TTAP) assignment since joining the team. For this request, I helped David Paradis, an Instructor in the Department of History, with teaching two of his classes (HIST 1113 and HIST 3020) how to use the screencasting software Screencast-O-Matic.

Honestly, I was a little nervous for my first project alone. The only other times I had worked with faculty was to conduct an interview. I’d never helped on a scale like this. But it was a rewarding opportunity. Not only was I able to research and learn about a technology that can be useful to me as a student, I also gained valuable teaching experience. 

David was a pleasure to work with, and both classes were very receptive to me when I presented to them. Any nervousness I’d had was completely gone by the second demo, and I enjoyed the opportunity much more than I thought I would. I wasn’t just presenting something to strangers - I learned to be more courageous and confident, and worked with faculty on equal footing. It was a very empowering experience.

I’ve only been with the Student Fellows for a little over a semester now, but I can say this position is much more rewarding than any other position I’ve had. Working with faculty helps me to improve the experience of other students, while also giving me an opportunity to educate myself with the teaching technologies that are being used in various academic settings. For someone who is considering applying for a Teaching Assistantship, the skills I have learned from the Student Fellows program so far are invaluable to me.